


purple ink (bleed me your life story)

by ElasticElla



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Hogwarts House Sorting, Gen, Ginny Weasley-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 01:30:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20462813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticElla/pseuds/ElasticElla
Summary: At ten years old, Ginny has the unquestioning wisdom of the seventh child.





	purple ink (bleed me your life story)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lovelyflowersinherhair](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelyflowersinherhair/gifts).

At ten years old, Ginny has the unquestioning wisdom of the seventh child. As the only girl, her clothes are second- not third, nor fourth, nor fifth- hand. Most rips and tears are from her own misadventures, not others. As the youngest, there is no doubt she will follow her older siblings’ footsteps into Gryffindor. Her mum already has a seventh red and gold scarf knitted, and that should be a comfort or something. She is only special insomuch as her gender marks her differently. 

It isn’t a bad thing, it simply is. 

It isn’t until a fateful trip to Diagon Alley that she feels things might be different. (There’s a boy hero at their breakfast table and Ginny doesn’t feel brave like she’s supposed to be.)

But Tom understands. She writes to him at all hours, doesn’t feel tired anymore. Her handwriting improves steadily, and she goes through twice as much of her favorite purple ink than normal. 

Tom doesn’t see the value in Quidditch, yet is still impressed by her stealth in practicing late at night. He agrees that her brothers are foolish, and one day, she’ll outfly them all. And Tom knows what it’s like to not have money, soothes her worries that greed is turning her rotten. 

‘Mum says it’s what’s on the inside that counts, but I don’t want them to laugh at me.’

And Tom doesn’t laugh, doesn’t belittle her fears. 

‘You can’t control how people react to you- not yet- but I can teach you an easy hex so they don’t do it again.’ 

Ginny is so excited, she nearly drops the diary, orange sparks dance out of her wand. ‘Oh please Tom, you’re the best!’ 

And so, Ginevra learns her very first spell: the Bat-Bogey Hex. 

Tom’s easier to talk to than any of her family, and perhaps she ought to feel worse about that. But Tom’s a _diary_. He was created to be the best confidant. 

‘Now Ginevra,’ he writes, elegant writing that she imagines must belong to an elegant boy. Breathtaking and brilliant (and perhaps she imagines he looks like Harry), ‘tell me, what you want out of life?’ 

At the beginning of the summer her answer would have been simple, childish. (Hanging out with Tom seems to have aged her.) Now, the answer holds weight, writes itself. 

‘Recognition.’

.

The Sorting Hat hums, says, ‘You would be happy in Gryffindor.’ 

‘I would be forgettable,’ Ginny corrects.

‘Very well. SLYTHERIN!’


End file.
